Treasury

Food: Northern Ireland

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government whetherraw food materials deemed at risk travelling to Northern Ireland from Great Britain will be subject to a requirement for full customs clearance.

Baroness Penn: We have delivered a unique set of arrangements to facilitate internal UK trade and to remove unacceptable customs processes. The Windsor Framework expands the number of businesses able to be classed as UK internal traders, who are eligible to be authorised under the new UK Internal Market Scheme. This will allow them to move goods that are ultimately destined to remain in the UK via the customs green lane, following its full implementation in September 2024. Traders moving goods through the green lane will not face burdensome international customs processes, pay tariffs or be subject to routine customs checks. Where food goods are for retail sale in Northern Ireland, businesses will also be able to register for the Retail Movement Scheme for agrifood goods which will enable them to benefit from a far simplified single SPS document per lorry and face radically reduced agrifood checks. If goods are destined for the EU, they must move through the red lane and would be subject to the same entry and food standards checks and customs declarations applicable for food movements to the rest of the EU.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Turkey: Politics and Government

Lord Hylton: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they were represented by observers from the British Embassy at the trial on 12–14 April of 117 leaders and members of the HDP Party in Turkey; and, if not, why not.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: British Embassy officials have been closely monitoring the Kobane trials. There were no British Embassy observers in court on 12-14 April. However, we are engaging with The Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), media, judicial and civil society contacts and, in coordination with other like-mind missions, send observers in person to the trial whenever possible.

India: G20

Viscount Waverley: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the government of India's six G20 priorities, published on 12 March.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government welcomes India's Presidency of the G20 and the important priorities that it has set out. The Foreign Secretary has made clear his support for putting the needs of developing countries first and giving the G20 a strong voice on the global stage.India takes on the Presidency at a time when the world is facing multiple challenges. India's scale, diversity and its extraordinary successes mean it is the right country at the right time to hold the G20 Presidency.Our goals for the G20 are evolving as the Presidency's agenda consolidates, and our officials are working closely with India to develop successful outcomes.

UK Internal Trade: Northern Ireland

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government whetherthe Trader Support Scheme will continue under the Windsor Framework; and whether this will continue to be paid at £250 per truck load to reimburse costs.

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what provisions arein place for the repayment of overpaid duties for red lane or deemed at risk goods coming into Northern Ireland that subsequently remain within the UK market.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We will continue to provide a free-to-use support service for movements in the green lane. We will set out the details of new arrangements in the usual way, including to Parliament and further guidance on the green lane will be provided in due course.Information on the historical cost of the Trader Support Service and other support schemes is available in response to Written Question UIN 146816.

EU Law: Northern Ireland

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government whether EUemployment laws will still be applicable to Northern Ireland if the Windsor Framework is implemented; and if in part, which aspects of EU employment law will apply.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: There are no EU employment laws applicable to Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework.

Russia: Sanctions

Lord West of Spithead: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the numbers of semiconductorsfrom manufacturers such as Intel, Advanced Micro Devices, Texas Instruments and others still reaching Russia despite the bans imposed after its invasion of Ukraine, and of the routes they have taken there.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government has prohibited the export from the UK to Russia of goods and technology, including semiconductors, that are critical to Russia's military-industrial complex.The Government recognises that Russia is circumventing sanctions measures, including smuggling goods through back channels to restock supplies. We are working with partners, including the US and EU, to tackle routes that Russia is potentially using to circumvent our sanctions.On 20 April the Government laid further legislation containing a new package of trade measures, including export prohibitions on items Russia has been found using on the battlefield to date.

UK Internal Trade: Northern Ireland

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have for a Tariff Reimbursement Scheme for Northern Ireland; and when this will be operational.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Where traders cannot determine the end destination of their goods when first moving them into Northern Ireland, we will establish a new, comprehensive tariff reimbursement scheme for those who can show the goods were ultimately not destined for the EU.

Israel: Christianity

Baroness Janke: To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel on the reported increasing number of attacks on Christians and Christian property by Israeli settlers and extremists, in the light of the government of Israel's failure to condemn these attacks while supporting restrictions placed on Christian worshippers in occupied East Jerusalem.

Baroness Janke: To ask His Majesty's Government what actionsthey have taken to coordinate international pressure to protect Christians, their property and their freedoms in Israel and Israeli-occupied territories in the light of recent attacks.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is committed to defending Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities. The UK condemns all attacks on the right to freedom of religion or belief. Israel has made clear its commitment to freedom of religion. We encourage the Israeli Government to do all it can to uphold the values of equality for all enshrined in its laws. Our Embassy in Tel Aviv and Consulate General in Jerusalem regularly raise issues of religious freedom with the Israeli Government and the Palestinian Authority. We continue to call on all sides to uphold the historic Status Quo in Jerusalem, recognising the custodianship of Jordan over the Holy sites.

Cabinet Office

Sharing Economy: Employment

Lord Field of Birkenhead: To ask His Majesty's Government how many "gig economy" workers thereare in the UK workforce at present; and how many there were in each of the previous five years.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.A holding response to the Noble Peer’s Parliamentary Question of 18th April is attached in the answer. The Rt Hon. the Lord Field of BirkenheadHouse of LordsLondonSW1A 0PW03 May 2023Dear Lord Field,As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking how many "gig economy" workers there are in the UK workforce at present; and how many there were in each of the previous five years (HL7206). Statisticians at the Office for National Statistics are currently undertaking additional analysis to answer your question and will place a copy in the House of Lords Library as soon as it is complete.Yours sincerely,Professor Sir Ian DiamondUK Statistics Authority  (pdf, 106.1KB)

Lord Wilson of Rievaulx

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish the results of the inquiry by Lord Hunt of Tanworth in 1996 into allegations of a security service plot against Harold Wilson.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: I refer the Noble Lord to the previous answer (HL1897) on 27 July 2021. To reiterate, official papers relating to these allegations are retained by the Cabinet Office. Retained papers are reviewed regularly to decide whether they can be released.

Department for Education

Special Educational Needs

Lord Addington: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to their Special Educational Needsand Disabilities (SEND) andAlternative Provision (AP)Improvement Plan (CP 800), how they intend to address any confusion about the status of pre-existing legislation in areas where the National Standards will be trailed.

Lord Addington: To ask His Majesty's Government what communications the Department for Education plans for local authorities, schools and parents where the national standards as outlined in their Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Improvement Plan (CP 800) will be trialled. explaining how that Plan complies with existing legislation and guidance, in particular the Equalities Act 2010, the Children and Families Act 2014 and the SEND Code of Practice.

Baroness Barran: The new National Standards will build on the comprehensive legal framework relevant to children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) by clarifying what good evidence-based provision looks like, who is responsible for securing it and from what budgets.The department has heard through the SEND and Alternative Provision Green Paper how important it is that National Standards are evidence-based and that children, young people and their families are able to feed into the development process. We are setting up a steering group of cross sector representatives, that will include parent-carer representatives, to oversee the development of standards. The department will test the National Standards in the context of our £70 million Change Programme to ensure they are iterated and set up for success.The development of the National Standards may require updates to both the legislation on SEND and to the SEND Code of Practice. The department will publish the National Standards in full for consultation.

Pupils: Gender Recognition

Lord Blencathra: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to bring forward legislation to prevent pupils being recognised by schools as having changed their gender without parental consent.

Lord Blencathra: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of their liability to damages if harm were to occur as a result of a state school assisting a child in changing their gender.

Baroness Barran: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education is working closely with my right hon. Friend, the Minister for Women and Equalities to provide guidance for schools in this area, following calls from schools, teachers and parents.This work is based upon the overriding principle of safeguarding children. It will consider a range of issues and reflect the law.A consultation on the guidance will be published this term.

Disability and Special Educational Needs: Disability Aids

Lord Addington: To ask His Majesty's Government whatplans they have to ensure that all schools have access to assistive technologyfor any pupil who would benefit from it as a result of a disability or special educational need.

Baroness Barran: All schools have duties under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments, including the provision of auxiliary aids and services for disabled children, to prevent them from being put at a substantial disadvantage. If a pupil has an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, the school must work with the local authority to ensure that all the relevant duties under the 2014 Children and Families Act are met, including securing Special Educational Provision (SEP), which may include the provision of assistive technology.Children and young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN) have more access to assistive technology, following investment in remote education and accessibility features which can reduce or remove barriers to learning. The department has expanded training to increase school staff awareness of assistive technology and, in particular, to increase awareness of assistive technology that is already available or can easily be obtained, such as text-to-speech tools. Impact data from this programme will provide a fuller picture of how training can support the wider continuous professional development for learners with SEN.

Special Educational Needs

Lord Addington: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to identify those with special educational needs who are not in receipt of an education, health and care plan,so that theyreceive appropriate support throughout their educational career.

Baroness Barran: The department knows that quality teaching is the most important in-school factor in improving outcomes for all children, particularly those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).Since September 2020, all new teachers have benefitted from at least three years of evidence-based professional development and support, starting with Initial Teacher Training (ITT) that is based on the ITT Core Content Framework (CCF), and followed by a new two-year induction underpinned by the Early Career Framework (ECF). All ITT courses and ECF-based training programmes are designed to support trainee and early career teachers to demonstrate that they meet the Teachers' Standards at the appropriate level.The department is reviewing and revising the ITT CCF and ECF into more closely combined frameworks. These would cover the first three years or more at the start of a teacher’s career and articulate what trainee and new teachers need to know and need to know how to do. This work includes identifying opportunities to identify how the frameworks can equip new teachers to be more confident in meeting the needs of pupils with SEND.The department’s SEND and Alternative Provision (AP) Improvement Plan, published in March 2023, has committed to developing a longer-term approach for teaching assistants to ensure their impact is consistent across the system and the different responsibilities they take on, including in training in speech and language interventions.In partnership with NHS England, we are funding the Early Language and Support for Every Child pathfinders within our £70 million Change Programme. This will fund nine Integrated Care Boards and one of the local areas within each of our nine Regional Expert Partnerships to trial new ways of working. This is to better identify and support children with speech and language needs in early years and primary schools.The Improvement Plan also outlines how National Standards will set out the types of support that should be available as standard, based on the best available evidence. This will enable a full range of needs to be better supported. Practice Guides will set out evidence-based best practice in meeting individual needs. We will start by building on existing best practice and will publish three practice guides by the end of 2025.

Teachers: Training

Lord Addington: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps are being taken to ensure that those in initial teacher trainingwill be able toidentifypupils with moderate difficulties arising from conditions such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, attention deficit disorder and autism.

Baroness Barran: The department understands that quality teaching is the most important in-school factor in improving outcomes for all children, particularly those with additional needs. From September 2020, all new teachers have benefited from at least three years of evidence based professional development and support, starting with Initial Teacher Training (ITT) based on the new ITT Core Content Framework (CCF), and followed by a new two-year induction underpinned by the Early Career Framework (ECF).All ITT courses must be designed so that trainee teachers can demonstrate that they meet the Teachers’ Standards at the appropriate level. This includes the requirement in Standard 1, that teachers must set goals that stretch and challenge pupils of all backgrounds, abilities and dispositions. As well as Standard 5, that all teachers must have a clear understanding of the needs of all pupils, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), and be able to adapt teaching to respond to those strengths and needs.The department will be conducting a review this year of the CCF and ECF to identify how the frameworks can equip new teachers to be more confident in meeting the needs of pupils with SEND.

Mathematics: Education

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether there are enough teachers to expand teaching of maths to all pupils up to the age of 18; and what steps they will take to rectify any gap.

Baroness Barran: Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, has set a new mission for all young people in England to study mathematics to age 18, equipping them with the skills they need for the modern economy. The department’s driving principle is to ensure that all young people are equipped with the right mathematics knowledge and skills to thrive, whatever their chosen pathway.The department knows teachers already work tirelessly to deliver high-quality mathematics education. Rolling out mathematics to a substantially larger post-16 cohort will require a larger workforce, trained and equipped to teach young people the mathematics skills they need for their future careers. We will work closely with schools and colleges to deliver this.

Home Office

Windrush Compensation Scheme

Baroness Benjamin: To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to providing entitlement to legal aid to Windrushscandal victims to navigate the compensation process; and what steps they plan to take, if any, to improve the accessibility of the compensation scheme.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: We have designed the Compensation Scheme to be as clear and simple as possible, so people do not need legal assistance to make a claim. However, for those who want or need support to make a claim, the Home Office provides free assistance in making applications through our independent claims assistance provider – We Are Digital (WAD).WAD has extensive experience of dealing with isolated and vulnerable customers and working with the Home Office and, through their partners, have a nationwide network of community-based centres.Were we to allow applicants to recover legal costs in applying to the Scheme, we may serve to encourage organisations to take advantage of potentially vulnerable individuals and charge them for unnecessary support to complete a claim.Claims forms were redesigned in 2021, in collaboration with stakeholders to make them easier to complete. This included obtaining the Crystal Mark, demonstrating our commitment to clarity, and communicating with claimants using plain English.Decision makers also work with claimants to gather information on their behalf.

Offences against Children

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask His Majesty's Government on what basis the Home Secretary has associated the phenomenon of grooming gangs with ethnicity rather than with religion.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: We know that child sexual exploitation is not exclusive to any single culture, community, race or religion. The vast majority of British-Pakistanis are law-abiding, upstanding citizens and the Home Secretary's comments relate to the findings of local reviews into child sexual exploitation cases in Rotherham, Telford and Rochdale, which described the perpetrators in those cases as overwhelmingly British-Pakistani men.The 2020 Home Office report on Group based Child Sexual Exploitation set out the best evidence on ethnicity, age, offender networks, the context in which these crimes are committed and implications for national and local policy. As noted within the report, beyond those specific high-profile cases, the academic literature highlights significant limitations to what can be said about links between ethnicity and group-based child sexual exploitation.It is essential for police and local authorities to have a good understanding of offender characteristics and the drivers of child sexual exploitation in their areas, so that they can uncover and tackle offending effectively. That is why the Prime Minister and Home Secretary have announced a number of steps to improve our data on, and our response to, group-based child sexual exploitation, including a new Taskforce, regional analysts in every police region, a new Complex and Organised Child Abuse Database hosted by the Taskforce and the roll out of the Tackling Organised Exploitation Programme, which brings together force-level, regional, and national data and intelligence.

Police

Lord Storey: To ask His Majesty's Government what are the requirements regarding (1)appointment procedures, and (2) financial remuneration, for Deputy Police Commissioners.

Lord Storey: To ask His Majesty's Government what was theannual cost ofPolice and Deputy Police Commissioners for each of the past five years.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Home Office does not hold information on the annual cost of Police and Crime Commissioners which includes pay, employer pension and national insurance contributions and expenses. However, the total basic pay cost of PCCs annually is approximately £3m. PCCs are under a duty to publish information relating to their salary, allowances, the composition of their office and the salaries of their senior staff on an annual basis.The Home Office does not hold information on the annual cost of Deputy Police and Crime Commissioners. The appointment, pay and other arrangements for Deputy Police and Crime Commissioners is a matter for each Police and Crime Commissioner. As the locally elected representative for policing, they are ultimately responsible for balancing their budget and making decisions about the size and composition of their offices.Police and Crime Commissioners are required to seek the views of their local Police and Crime Panel before appointing a Deputy, and other senior staff, as set out in Schedule 1 to the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Animal Experiments

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support alternatives to the use of animals in research and testing.

Viscount Camrose: The Government is committed to the development of alternatives to using animals in scientific procedures and continues to actively support and fund the development and dissemination of the 3Rs (replacement, reduction and refinement) for the use of animals in scientific procedures. This is achieved through UK Research and Innovation’s funding of the National Centre for the 3Rs, which works nationally and internationally to drive the uptake of non-animal technologies, and through research into the development of alternatives by Innovate UK, the Medical Research Council, and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.

Mobile Phones: Aerials

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have plans to revise the powers given to telecommunications companies to erect phone masts in order to give greater protection to land within or adjacent to Sites of Special Scientific Interest and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty which already have sufficient mobile phone signal.

Viscount Camrose: The Government is committed to providing the necessary digital infrastructure across the UK to ensure that people and businesses have the connectivity they need, and in the years ahead. The changes we made to planning law in England in 2022 will help to extend and improve mobile coverage, including supporting our £1 billion Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme.However, it is important that the delivery of network infrastructure is balanced with environmental considerations. Planning legislation allows for planning authorities to assess the impact of certain infrastructure, such as new masts, and decide whether it is appropriate for the proposed location. There are also greater restrictions and limitations on network development in more sensitive locations, such as National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Operators are required to minimise the visual impact of network infrastructure in these areas.In addition to this, the Code of Practice for Wireless Network Development in England sets out how operators and planning authorities can work collaboratively to ensure that network deployment is carried out in a way that provides positive benefits to communities, whilst respecting the sensitive nature of protected areas.The Government also supports the view that operators should use existing structures and buildings for hosting infrastructure, and share sites where possible, to reduce the environmental impact of installation. The SRN in particular is a sustainable approach to the challenge of delivering rural mobile coverage and will transform 4G coverage without duplicating infrastructure, minimising the impact on our countryside.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Wind Power

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address any reduction in the amount of energy produced by onshore wind caused by changing weather patterns.

Lord Callanan: Wind power is a variable energy source which is why it is used alongside other forms of energy generation to create a reliable mix. Modern onshore wind turbines are able to maximise generation at times of low and high wind speeds and for longer. The Electricity System Operator monitors weather data and can plan for higher or lower power generation from wind turbines.

Alternative Fuels: Ammonia

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for ammonia powered plants, vehicles and ships being used in the UK and in UK waters.

Lord Callanan: The Government is aware of the potential for ammonia-fired electricity generation and is keeping the technology under review.

Department for Transport

Ferries: Crew

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take, if any, to support ferry operators in terms of the recruitment of crews for work on vessels which operate between (1) Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and (2) Great Britain and Ireland.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Recruitment is the responsibility of operators. However, to capitalise on future growth areas and attract a diverse range of talent into the industry, my Department promotes maritime skills and careers across the UK. Additionally, we remain committed to improving working conditions for seafarers by boosting their welfare and protection from exploitation. The Home Office is also engaging with vessel operators serving the routes between Great Britain and Northern Ireland on the recruitment of overseas labour through the Frontier Worker Permit and Skilled Worker visa.

Shipping: Rescue Services

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to uphold the obligation "to render assistance to any person found at sea in danger of being lost” under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea once fully automated ships are brought into service.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Automated Ships, or MASS (Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships), will be expected to meet the same United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) obligations to render assistance as conventional (non-MASS) ships. The obligations to render assistance under UNCLOS already provides flexibility for the Master by stating “in so far as he can do so without serious danger to this ship, the crew or the passengers”. This flexibility means that the level of assistance that may be rendered varies depending on ship type, size, capabilities etc. so although a MASS may not be able to render the same level of assistance as a conventional ship, they will be able to render assistance in line with the obligation under UNCLOS.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Hedges and Ditches: Conservation

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking tosupport the (1) planting, and (2) restoration, of hedgerows in England.

Lord Benyon: Hedgerows make a valuable contribution to climate change, our countryside and nature and we are already investing heavily in this crucial habitat. There are currently 79,741km of hedgerows with one, or both sides managed under Countryside or Environmental Stewardship options and we’ve supported 11,800km of hedgerow creation or restoration through Countryside Stewardship capital grants. Defra will continue to encourage and support hedgerows through our environmental land management schemes, including providing funding through the addition of a new Hedgerow standard as part of the Sustainable Farming Incentive in 2023.

Public Footpaths: Rural Areas

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking tosupport the restoration of footpaths in rural areas of England.

Lord Benyon: The Government recognises the importance of providing access to the outdoors for people’s health and wellbeing and are working to ensure this is safe and appropriate. We committed in our Environmental Improvement Plan to work across government to help ensure that everyone lives within 15 minutes’ walk of a green or blue space. The Government is delivering a number of policies to increase access to nature including implementing a number of rights of way reforms which will streamline the process for adding new or lost footpaths to the rights of way network. Work is progressing on the England Coast Path, with nearly 800 miles now open to the public, and the designation of Wainwright’s coast to coast route across the north of England as a National Trail. We are delivering the £14.5m ‘Access for All’ programme, which consists of a package of targeted measures in our protected landscapes, national trails, forests and the wider countryside to make access to green and blue spaces more inclusive. The Farming in Protected Landscape (FiPL) programme includes the provision for permissive access and capital items to support access to the countryside or improvements to access such as gates, stiles and interpretation. Local highway authorities are responsible for the management and maintenance of existing public rights of way and are required to keep a Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP) to plan improvements to the rights of way network in their area. This must include an assessment of the local rights of way including the condition of the network.

Public Footpaths: Rural Areas

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask His Majesty's Government what recent estimate they have made of the numberof miles of footpaths that have been lost in rural areas in England in the past 10 years.

Lord Benyon: No estimate has been made however the Government is committed to implementing the rights of way reform programme including extending the cut-off off date to 2031 for the recording of unregistered historic rights ways, the completion of the England Coast Path and designating Wainwright’s coast to coast route across the north of England as a National Trail.

Animal Products: UK Internal Trade

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government why products of animal origin moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland for further processing are not included in the Green Lane under the Windsor Framework; and what steps are being taken to include them.

Lord Benyon: Goods moving for further processing in NI will continue to move via the red lane, giving NI manufacturers continued and valued access to the UK and EU markets. Most operate on an integrated island of Ireland basis, using the red lane means they can continue to benefit from unfettered access to both EU and UK markets. These traders will be supported by a new digitised SPS certification system, and, if goods ultimately remain in NI, the reimbursement of certification costs, via the Movement Assistance Scheme. This protects their important island of Ireland operating models, enabling access to the EU’s markets.

Pets: Travel

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government whether pets that have travelled from Northern Ireland to Great Britain can then travel on to the Republic of Ireland without further documentation.

Lord Benyon: The usual requirements under the EU Pet Travel Scheme apply when bringing a pet or assistance dog into an EU Member State from Great Britain, including where the pet has travelled from Northern Ireland. This includes the need for a valid pet passport issued in the EU, Northern Ireland or a country listed by the EU as ‘Part 1’. In the absence of a valid pet passport, an Animal Health Certificate is required. These documents must include details of the necessary health preparations for the country the pet or assistance dog is travelling to.

Deposit Return Schemes

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they are making with regard to the provision of the Deposit Return Scheme arising from the provisions of the Windsor Framework.

Lord Benyon: The UK Government, the Welsh Government and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland consulted in 2019 and 2021 on the detail of introducing a DRS in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In January 2023 we published the Government response to the 2021 consultation, setting out policy decisions and next steps for introducing the scheme which can be found here. A copy is attached to this answer. We are currently drafting the legislation to enable delivery of DRS, reflecting the positions set out in the consultation response published in January 2023. The legislation then needs to go through the necessary clearances before it can be laid in UK Parliament and the Welsh Senedd. We are aiming to have the regulations in place in order to appoint the DRS scheme administrator (the Deposit Management Organisation) by summer 2024.DRS Government response (pdf, 319.0KB)

Sustainable Farming Incentive

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask His Majesty's Government (1) how many applications for Sustainable Farming Incentive payments were received during each of the last three quarters, and (2) of these, how many were approved.

Lord Benyon: The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) was opened to farmers on 30 June 2022. The SFI scheme has a rolling application window and quarterly payments begin midway through the fourth month after the start date of the agreements. As of 20 April 2023, the table below shows the number of applications received and agreements paid over the last three quarters. For the period January-March 2023, payments started from mid-April and will continue to be released in May and June. Application Received QuarterApplications ReceivedAgreements OfferedAgreements Set LiveAgreements Currently LiveVolume PaidValue PaidPre July 20226968636060£152,777July - Sept 2022865822735726715£1,621,955Oct - Dec 20221139112510141014907£1,424,611Jan - Mar 20239829688678651£527Total30552983267926651683£3,199,871The above table shows applications received in each quarter. It is important to note that payments are made in the fourth month after the agreement start date, which may not occur in the same quarter as the application is submitted. The table below shows the number of agreements with start dates in each quarter and which of those have been paid.Agreement Set Live QuarterApplications ReceivedAgreements OfferedAgreements Set LiveAgreements Currently LiveVolume PaidValue PaidJuly - Sept 2022238236238228226£504,144Oct - Dec 202211521152115211491139£2,137,138Jan - Mar 2023878878878877318£558,589Post Mar 2023411411411411  Total30552983267926651683£3,199,871

Microbiome

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the decline of microbiome on the planet.

Lord Benyon: No assessment has been made regarding any decline of soil microbiomes in England. On 31st January 2023 the Government published its second statutory Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP23), as committed to in the Environment Act. The EIP23 builds on the Government’s commitment to leave the environment in a better state than we found it. It is delivery focused and sets out the actions that will drive us towards reaching our long-term environmental targets and goals, including improving and protecting soil health.

Wind Power: Seas and Oceans

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask His Majesty's Government how themitigation hierarchy will be implemented in the planning process for offshore windfarms.

Lord Benyon: The mitigation hierarchy is an established principle of environmental and planning law. The Government is currently consulting on an updated National Policy Statement for Renewable Energy Infrastructure, including offshore wind, which states that applicants should always employ the mitigation hierarchy. The Government will be publishing updated guidance for offshore wind developers and regulators to further clarify how to work through and adhere to the mitigation hierarchy. The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill includes provision to replace Strategic Environmental Assessment and Environmental Impact Assessment processes for national infrastructure projects, marine works and terrestrial planning with Environmental Outcome Reports (EORs). EORs apply to a range of consenting regimes and will assess any steps proposed to avoid, mitigate or compensate for effects of specified environmental outcomes that are not met and to what extent the mitigation hierarchy was followed.

Department for Work and Pensions

Workplace Pensions

Baroness Altmann: To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have madeof the number of (1) men, and (2) women, who earn less than £12,570 in any one job, who are members of auto-enrolment workplace pension schemes which operate on a Net Pay basis.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: DWP do not hold this data. A policy paper has been published showing the number of people who save into an occupational pension under net pay arrangements whose taxable pay is below the personal allowance is estimated to be 1.2 million in 2026-27. In 2023/24, the Personal Allowance is £12,570. Women are estimated to make up 75% of those earning below the personal allowance and contributing to a pension scheme that uses net pay arrangements. The 1.2 million can therefore be broken down into around 0.3 million men and 0.9 million women. Notes:These figures were produced for accrual in 2026-27 and the Personal Allowance at the time was not set to £12,570 in that tax year.These figures look at total pay across jobs and less contributions to Net Pay Arrangements, so it is possible that someone with total earnings above the Personal Allowance is included because removing their Net Pay Arrangement contributions takes them below the Personal Allowance or someone earns less than the Personal Allowance in a single job but their pay across jobs takes them above the Personal Allowance.These figures were produced for the Autumn Budget 2021 fiscal event using the 2018-19 SPI projected using Autumn Budget 2021 OBR determinants.Further detail can be found at the source which is linked below. Source: Pensions relief relating to net pay arrangements - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what are the most recent statistics relating to claims for industrial injuries disablement benefit; and whether they intend to publish future statistics on a regular basis.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: In the latest full financial year for which data is available, 2021/22, there were 9,870[1] new claims[2] made to Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit[3]. 7,060 of these related to a prescribed disease and 2,820 of these related to a workplace accident. In the first quarter of the 2022/23 financial year, April 2022 to June 2022, 2,620 new claims[4] were made to Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit[5]. 1,920 of these related to a prescribed disease and 700 of these related to a workplace accident. Information on claims for Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit is published on a quarterly basis and can be found in the ‘IIDB Claims’ dataset on Stat-Xplore. The latest release for this dataset was published on Tuesday 14th February 2023 at 09:30am containing data up to June 2022. The next release is scheduled for Tuesday 16th May 2023 at 09:30am. You can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest user and, if needed, you can access guidance on how to extract the information required. [1] All volumes are rounded to the nearest 10. Individual figures for accidents and prescribed diseases may not sum to overall totals due to rounding[2] Claims that did not result in a payment are also included. There are a number of reasons why a claim might not result in payment. The claim is progressed through to assessment where a decision maker will decide if the claim is payable[3] Excluding new claims for Reduced Earnings Allowance[4] Claims that did not result in a payment are also included. There are a number of reasons why a claim might not result in payment. The claim is progressed through to assessment where a decision maker will decide if the claim is payable[5] Excluding new claims for Reduced Earnings Allowance.